LSBS Co-Chairs

LATINA Style, Inc. is proud to count on Iris Ramírez Reese and Elke Weil as the Co-Chairs of the LATINA Style Business Series in Raleigh, NC

IRIS RAMÍREZ REESE

CEO, Fusión Multicultural Marketing & Communications

Iris Ramírez Reese is a well-recognized Hispanic market consultant, public speaker and committed community activist educating clients on the Hispanic Market Advantage™. Along with being the founder and CEO of Fusión Multicultural Marketing & Communications, NC’s premier full service Hispanic marketing and communications agency (HMA), she has also created powerful and influential campaigns targeted to the niche market of Hispanics for corporations and community organizations alike. Her expertise on Hispanic consumerism and consumption habits provides rare and valuable insight that is powered by her native origin and years of experience. Her many great accomplishments range from NC’s Premier Hispanic Magazine to North Carolina’s premier and exclusive Hispanic Market Advantage Conference (HMAC). Her in-depth knowledge of the U.S. Hispanic market as well as her research, advertising and marketing background has allowed her to give her clients the ability to make their products more relevant to the Hispanic consumer.

The leverage and advantage stem from her profound understanding, specialized skills and an exceptional capability as it relates to what drives the Hispanic market. As a consultant on Hispanic consumption habits and cultural norms and nuances, it is to her client’s advantage that she possesses the knowledge many businesses need to succeed in this market and most importantly, why. Through a highly consultative approach, Ramírez Reese helps companies obtain a first-hand cultural and relevant understanding the Hispanic segment as well as the difficult challenges posed and opportunities presented by this unique market.

With over 15 years of experience, her innate creative talent combined with her intuitive ability to capture the Hispanic market has resulted in numerous effective and impactful marketing campaigns. What sets Ramírez Reese aside from other agencies is that she is not only the consultant but she is also her clients target audience. This has given her an exemplary ability to personably penetrate the Hispanic market and obtain bona fide consumer consumption habit information that is invaluable. Ramírez Reese has mastered the ability to successfully guide businesses seeking to capture the Hispanic market while creating a new approach to maximize their marketing & advertising dollars.

Worthy of mention is Ramírez Reese’s commitment and dedication to the professional growth and development of women-owned businesses. As such, she has been known to provide numerous hours of pro-bono support in the area of business plan development instruction, development and creative design of marketing materials and consulting services.

Iris was born and raised in the Bronx in NY and currently resides in Durham, NC with her husband David and three beautiful children; Travis, Tristen and Madison.

Awards:
2009 Circle of Influence Award

2009 Triangle Business Journal Women in Business Award
2009 Latino Diamante Award
2010 Finalist – Enterprising Woman of the Year
2011 Top 50 Triangle Business Leader Top Catalyst Entrepreneur

2012 Excellence in Business Award | Inaugural Statewide Recognition

ELKE WEIL

Claim Specialist I- Diverse Market Team (Bilingual) of Nationwide

Elke Weil was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the youngest of three daughters. Her father was a native of Ohio while her mother was from the Dominican Republic. Her parents met in Puerto Rico in the early 70’s and later moved the whole family to NC in 1997. She began her freshman year at William G. Enloe High School and graduated in 2001. Elke worked a local Marriott Hotel for 7-8 years while attending Wake Technical Community College. She later attained her Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management from North Carolina State University. She began her career with Nationwide Insurance in April 2011 as a Bilingual Claims Adjuster working for the Diverse Market Team where she has been able to serve the Spanish speaking community of North Carolina directly. She has provided leadership and assistance with many Latino oriented company initiatives and events that serve to represent Nationwide as a responsible corporate citizen and sponsor of the Hispanic community. She has also worked closely with the Nationwide’s regional marketing and sales teams in events serving the local Latino community.